Starbucks gets hit with absurd ice lawsuit that 'defies common sense'

These drinks have just the right amount of ice.
Photo courtesy of Starbucks

A woman in Chicago filed a federal lawsuit against Starbucks because she claims they put too much ice in their drinks. This upsets her so much that she is seeking $5 million.

Stacy Pincus​ filed a class action suit on April 27 in Illinois, alleging that the company "underfills iced coffee, iced tea, and iced-blended specialty drinks crafted by Starbucks employees." According to the suit, this underfilling situation misleads and injures consumers.

Starbucks spokesperson Jaime Riley says that Starbucks is aware of the lawsuit, "which we fully believe to be without merit," she says. "Our customers understand and expect that ice is an essential component of any 'iced' beverage. If a customer is not satisfied with their beverage preparation, we will gladly remake it."

The litigator is Steven A. Hart, who specializes in class action, mass torts, personal injury, products liability, and the like.

Employees at the Starbucks on Knox Street in Dallas say that there is a procedure they follow every time. "Liquid gets filled to third line, and then you add ice," one says. "I think we get hit with a lot of silly lawsuits."

In Austin, an employee at the West 24th Street store says she had heard of the lawsuit and that "it defies common sense."

"Every cup has a set of lines we use as a guideline," she says. "You fill milk to one line and ice to the top. It's standardized throughout the company."

And a staffer at the Post Oak Boulevard store in Houston says that one of Starbucks' service hallmarks is its willingness to alter any drink to fit a customer request. "We get special requests all the time," she says. "If you want less ice, all you have to do is ask."